


Lesson One

by anmaya



Category: Star Trek: The Next Generation
Genre: Developing Friendships, Gen, Mentors
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2020-12-09
Updated: 2020-12-09
Packaged: 2021-03-10 01:34:46
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 1,261
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/27975930
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/anmaya/pseuds/anmaya
Summary: After only a few weeks on board everyone is still getting to know each other.  Will Riker can relate to being an angry teenage boy, and wants to help.
Comments: 2
Kudos: 12





	Lesson One

“Wes. You need to finish your homework and take care of your room before you can go gaming.”   
“Come on, Mom. I do that shit all the time.”  
“Wesley! You will not speak to me that way!”  
“Why not? You expect me to act mature but then you treat me like a kid. I’m sick of it!” The boy pushed back his chair and stormed out of Ten Forward.

Beverly Crusher shook her head for a moment and then glanced up at the table beside hers where Commander Will Riker, Lt Commander Laforge and a civilian she didn't recognize were finishing their meal. She blushed when she saw that they had noticed the little scene her son had just made. After only several weeks on their new ship they were all just still getting to know each other, and she didn’t want her fellow officers to develop a negative impression of her or her son. “Sorry about that.” She said tiredly ”teenage boys can be difficult.”

“It’s ok. We were all one at one time.” Laforge said kindly, and the civilian nodded. “I gave my mother fits.” He agreed.

Riker looked thoughtful for a moment, then laid his napkin down on the table. “Doctor? Do you mind if I talk to him?”

Beverly Crusher was surprised for a moment but then nodded. “Actually, that might be helpful. Wes seems to worship the ground you walk on. Maybe he would listen to you.”  
Riker nodded and stood up, excusing himself from the table and following Wesley Crusher out the door.

He caught up to him as Wesley stepped on the lift. “Deck 16” Wesley commanded, but Riker said “Pause lift.” Wes refused to meet his gaze, figuring he was about to get reamed out for his behavior in ten forward.

“Wes – it sounds like you could use a break. I’d like you to join me in the holodeck. There’s a program I want you to see.” Riker said kindly, with no hint of censure in his voice.

Wes looked up hopefully. He was still mad at his mom, but the opportunity to spend some time with Commander William Riker was appealing. Riker was everything he wished he could be. Everyone respected him and from what Wes could see, most people really liked him too. He made everything look so easy and effortless, whether it was issuing orders or making small talk with a beautiful woman. “OK, I guess so…sir.”

“Lift – deck 5” Riker said, and a moment later they were deposited in front of the holodecks. One was open and Riker stepped up to the control panel. “Run Riker Alpha 2” he ordered, and then ushered the young man into the deck.   
Wes looked around him in awe. There was deep blue sky with snow capped mountains in the distance, and just a slight chill in the air. On their left was a cold-looking mountain stream rushing among big boulders, and a meadow strewn with wildflowers. Immediately to their right was a rock wall. Craning his neck he could see his way to the top, far above them. 

“Is this Alaska?” Wes inquired, knowing that was where the Commander called home.

“Yup. Just outside of Valdez where I grew up.” Riker agreed. He jerked his head towards the rock wall. 

“What do you say? Ever done any climbing?”

Wesley paled a little. “No sir. Up that?”

Will smiled. “Well you’re in for some fun then. Holodeck, two climbing harness, men’s extra large and…” he looked Wes over for a minute “men’s small” and set Rig A to the wall here –“ He touched the rock face, and climbing harnesses appeared and a rope suddenly dangled from the rock face. "What size shoes do you take?" Riker continued, getting them the rest of what they needed as Wes looked on doubtfully.

“Uh – sir, I’m not great with heights.”

“You’ll be fine. All the safety protocols are in place, so even if you fell the “holodeck angels” will catch you.’ He tossed a pair of climbing boots to Wesley and sat down to pull his own on.  
He glanced over at the boy.“When I was about your age whenever I was really ticked off at my Dad I came here and climbed. By the time you get to the top you’ll feel better.”

“Did you have safety protocols?”

Will laughed. “Nope. Really banged myself up bad once. Hit the ground from a good ways up. Laid there staring at the sky, scared to move and find out how much damage I had done.” He shrugged. “It turned out OK. And the summer I turned 17 my friend Ino and I really got into climbing this without any ropes.” He shook his head and laughed. “We were stupid as hell.”

Wes took this in, still looking dubious, as Riker helped him into the harness, showing him the proper way to buckle in and cinch down. “Your mom didn’t throw a fit?”

“No. My mom died when I was really little, and my Dad was more worried about his career than his kid. He did get mad that day when I broke my collarbone though, because he got pulled out of an important meeting and had to pick me up at the hospital.”

“Oh.” Wes said quietly, feeling like a jerk for complaining about his own mom when Riker had grown up without one. On the other hand, he had grown up without a dad, so maybe it wasn’t all that different.

Will looked up the cliff face, squinting into the sun, and then grinned back down at the boy beside him. “OK, here’s the deal…” and Wes got a quick lesson in how to tackle an Alaskan mountain.

For the next hour and a half they climbed, Riker encouraging him as they went higher, Wes gaining confidence with every foot. When they finally hauled themselves over the lip at the top Wes bounced to his feet, arms in the air and shouted “Yeah!” into the vast Alaskan sky, grinning from ear to ear. For his part, Will sat down, legs dangling over the edge, and took a deep drink of water from the canteen in his pack. Eventually, Wes sat down too, marveling a little at the fact that he was sitting on the edge of a cliff without feeling the least bit worried about it. Will handed him the other canteen and he drank greedily. Then they both sat in silence for a while, watching an eagle soaring on the thermals above the evergreen forest.

After a little bit Wes glanced over at him. “So, now that we’ve established a rapport, isn’t this where you give me the lecture about obeying my mother and proper behavior in ten forward?”

Riker shrugged and gave a short chuckle. “No. You know everything you need to know – you'll work it out for yourself. Sometimes it’s just easier when you take a step back from the problem. Or in this case, a step up…” He said, gesturing to the cliff they sat on. “We should climb together a few more times, until you really get a feel for it, but you did great. And after that you can just use the program whenever you want. There's some other climbing programs in the files too, if you prefer more exotic locales." He took one last look at the vista before them, then clamored to his feet, extending a hand to pull Wes up too. " Now, want to have some fun? I'll show you how to rappel back down.”

**Author's Note:**

> comments appreciated!!


End file.
